All I Ask of You
by Rajeela
Summary: This is the second of my three Phantom of the Opera-inspired oneshots, and it goes to Linky-boo! Lotsa fluff, this song always makes me feel fluffy. Enjoy!


Zelda sprinted down an endless hallway, illuminated by red light through the windows, tripping over her dress and panting

heavily.

Though she was running as fast as she could, her pursuer was gaining with ease.

"Don't run, Princess! It will only make this more painful," a dreadful voice hissed.

She finally stumbled fatally and fell to her knees, which broke open on the stone. Bleeding and entangled in her own dress,

Zelda backed up against the wall and whimpered as a shadow loomed over her and then engulfed her completely.

Her own screams woke her up. Once again, she found herself drenched in sweat in a very un-royal way, surrounded by maids,

guards, the palace doctor, a foreign mage, and her father.

"Another nightmare?" the doctor asked.

Breathlessly, Zelda nodded.

"We'll get you cleaned up," offered one of the maids, holding out her hand.

"M-May I just st-stay here for a moment?" the princess requested.

The king waved his hand and the guards and maids departed from her spacious chambers.

"Similar to your past dreams?" the mage inquired.

"Yes, but this time my knees were bleeding," she recollected, trembling.

Zelda sighed morosely and her father gently stroked her back.

The mage and doctor nodded to each other and left the room, quietly discussing the signs. They had at first refused to

cooperate, believing in different methods of healing, but after a month they decided to collaborate.

Just as they left, a maid reentered.

"There is someone who would like to see Her Highness," she said softly.

"I think we should save meetings for tomorrow," the king responded.

"Who is it?" asked Zelda, straightening her nightgown. Not a soul outside of the palace was to know about her weakness.

"The Hero."

Link? thought Zelda. What is he doing here?

"Your Highness?" he greeted, tapping the door with his knuckles as he came in.

Aware of how much she was blushing, Zelda stood and brushed down her nightgown. It didn't help at all that he was valiantly

handsome, with his glowing blue eyes and blond hair, and her age besides.

"Good evening, Hero. Is there something you wanted to discuss?"

The king stood as well and kissed Zelda's cheek.

"Let's leave them alone," he muttered to the maid as he exited, pulling the door closed behind him.

Father! Zelda hissed mentally, glaring at the door.

_No more talk of darkness_

_Forget these wide-eyed fears_

"You…may think me bold, Your Highness," Link began, holding his arms awkwardly, "but I wanted to make you feel better

about your nightmares, in any way I can."

"Nightmares are mere visions," Zelda said dismissively, waving her hand. "Nothing I can't handle myself."

"Are you sure? They have been happening for some time now. You have been free from Ganon for months now."

She looked at him with fire in her eyes and he put up his hands as if saying, "Steady."

"Maybe the best way to make them better is to forget them. Think of other things to dream about."

_I'm here_

_Nothing can harm you_

_My words will warm and calm you_

"Explain," Zelda commanded, sitting on the edge of her canopy bed.

"Well, there are things you can do as you fall asleep. Just imagine calming things before bed and then your dreams will be

nice."

She stared at him, bemused.

"Here, if you would close your eyes, I could tell you one," Link said, crouching down and resting his elbows on the bed beside

her.

Though reluctant, Zelda folded her arms and closed her eyes.

Link smiled fondly, though she couldn't see it.

"Imagine that you are on a hill in the nighttime. A cloud appears around your feet and you get on top of it. You could stand, or

sit, or lie down, because it's soft and solid, like the nicest bed in the world. It carries you through the sky and the breeze is

fresh and cool. You could fall asleep and the cloud would carry you safely on all night."

Zelda exhaled leisurely and could nearly feel the night air on her skin, blowing her hair behind her. The dark was soothing,

healing. But another cloud approached her, wrapping around hers and constricting it. It was musty and hot— a storm cloud—

and it strangled her cloud until it was limp. She fell through.

She opened her eyes again, gasping.

_Let me be your freedom_

_Let daylight dry your tears_

Zelda felt tears threatening to burst out, but she wiped her eyes in frustration.

"He follows me whenever I close my eyes!" she snarled through clenched teeth.

Link sat beside her and rubbed her back consolingly.

She took her hands from her eyes and gave him a look.

_I'm here_

_With you beside you_

_To guard you and to guide you_

Link snatched his hand away and scooted over. "We can try another. Okay, so close your eyes. Now, there is a castle in the sky,

and you can get there by riding a pegasus…"

He had interpreted her look as "What do you think you're doing?"

But really, Zelda was only surprised.

For hours, Link thought of new dreams and Zelda found fear in each of them.

As the moonlight coming through her windows turned just slightly rosy, Zelda finally broke down. In exhaustion, in fear, in

frustration, in embarrassment.

Link was just as tired, but his stamina was much more impressive. And he had something he wanted to do before the night

was over.

Zelda looked at him through puffy eyes, and realized how hard he had worked just to make her happy. He had saved her,

brought her home safely, come to visit her, brought her gifts, and now sacrificed his own health to make sure she was happy.

"I'm sorry, so sorry…" she repeated over and over.

"No, no," Link said fiercely, and brought her to her feet so he could wrap his arms around her. "This is what I _didn't _want to

happen. You don't need to be sorry."

_Say you'll love me every waking moment_

_Turn my head with talk of summertime_

"Why are you doing this?" Zelda sighed into his shoulder, arms folded against his chest.

"You are my princess," he replied.

"And the princess of everyone else in Hyrule," she chuckled, sniffing. "A pretty bad one at the moment."

"You are _my _princess," he repeated, squeezing her even harder. "My queen. The ruler of my world. If you are unhappy, so am I.

If I need to create a thousand dreams for you, I will."

Her salty eyes opened wide.

_Say you need me with you_

_Now and always_

_Promise me that all you say is true_

_That's all I ask of you_

"What do you—"

"I love you, Princess Zelda. I want to take away your pain."

She straightened her arms to push away from him and look at his face. There was no hint of jesting.

"Fine, then," she said, trying to be disdainful, "Do as you wish."

_Let me be your shelter_

_Let me be your light_

_You're safe _

_No one will find you_

_Your fears are far behind you_

Link embraced Zelda again and began to slowly sway, as if rocking a baby to sleep.

"What are your dreams like? Are you afraid of something in particular?"

"Someone chases me. I think I'm afraid Ganon will hunt me down again."

"But he's dead. I killed him with the Master Sword."

"I've got a terrible feeling that he will…come back." Her voice caught with tears.

"Then I will kill him again. Gladly."

_All I want is freedom_

_A world with no more night_

_And you_

_Always beside me_

_To hold me and to hide me_

"I only want to forget him."

"You can forget him. He won't bother you anymore, after all."

Zelda thought, I think now I also want something else. I want you to never let go of me.

_Then say you'll share with me one love one lifetime_

_Let me lead you from your solitude_

He stopped swaying, to her dismay, and bent a little to look her in the eye. Normally she would have reprimanded him for

behaving this way around a princess, but she could have been a frog and forgotten at this point.

"Am I being too informal?" he asked.

In response, Zelda pulled his chest to her head and muttered, "Don't let go of me, idiot."

He grinned over her head.

_Say you need me with you_

_Here beside you_

_Anywhere you go let me go too_

_Zelda, that's all I ask of you_

She could feel his quiet laughter in his chest.

"Never," he promised. "And I will be with you always, if you want it."

That was all she needed. Zelda smiled, content to smell the forest on his tunic and stay like this for days.

_Say you'll share with me one love one lifetime_

_Say the word and I will follow you_

_Share each day with me_

_Each night, each morning_

But she felt it was customary to bestow a gift upon her Hero. (At least, that was how she justified her urge to kiss him.) So she

moved her hands to the base of his neck and stood on her tiptoes. Before she could even meet his lips, Link eagerly came

down to meet hers, bumping her nose a little. But he could not be deterred.

Though her eyes were closed, she could feel his broad smile.

_Say you love me_

He picked up her legs and held her as he had the day of the escape… No. No more of that, Zelda reminded herself. I've got

other things to think about now.

_You know I do_

He spun her around and she restrained her giggles, suddenly aware of the guards in the hall.

_Love me_

_That's all I ask of you_

They collapsed on the bed in a dizzy heap and laughed silently until they could both see clearly again. Then Link held Zelda's

gaze, which was calming in its silence. Dawn turned into day without either noticing.

_Anywhere you go let me go too_

_Love me_

_That's all I ask of you _

Midday came and there had been no sign of the Princess. No one had seen the Hero leave either, but if he had left in the early

morning, not many would have been around to notice anyway.

A maid gingerly opened the door to the princess's chambers, saw the scene, and hastily closed it again. She hurried down the

halls, blushing and holding her hands over her mouth. By the time she reached the library where the king rested, an

entourage of gossiping servants followed behind her.

"Your Majesty! There is something that you must see!" she squealed.

The group doubled in size back to the princess's chambers, with the king in front. The maid hushed the crowd and opened the

door, allowing solely the king inside, though everyone leaned to look through the doorway.

He approached the canopy bed where his daughter and the Hero slept like innocent children, drooling and holding hands, and

chortled.

He returned to the hall and beckoned the servants to follow him to the throne room.

When they congregated, the king announced, "Yes, that young man sleeping beside my daughter is the Hero. He came to me

last week with the intention of marrying her, and I promised my blessing if he could get rid of her nightmares. Now, did it

seem to you like she was having bad dreams? No? Good. Then we have a wedding to plan."

* * *

A/N: All right, fluffy time! Sorry it's so fluffy, it's just how I imagined Zelda and Link's romance to be.

One more to upload! My favorite pairing next!

I own nothing but about 40 shoeboxes. (I don't even own 10 pairs of shoes!)

- Rajeela


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